Jason Williams will make his return from a fractured fibula tonight as the Red Wings host the Nashville Predators.

To make room in the lineup for Williams and to accommodate the expected return of Tomas Holmstrom on Sunday, Justin Abdelkader was sent down to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. Abdelkader does not have to clear waivers on his way down so Detroit is in no danger of losing him.

The Red Wings will have to worry about a roster crunch again when Johan Franzen or Andreas Lilja return.